Self-dumping hay-rake.



E. C. SMITH.

SELF DUMPING HAY RAKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11. 1914.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOI? MM WITNESSES: M a M A TTORNEY 0., WAsmNn'rON D c E. C. SMITH.

SELF DUMPING HAY RAKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1914.

1,164,133. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVE/VTUB ATTORNEY COLUMBIA Purfomupn 0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNXTED STATES @FFIQE.

:snnns'r 0. SMITH, or HOOSIGK FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WALTER A. W001) MOWING annar ns MACHINE COMPANY, or I-IOOSICK FALLS, NEW YORK, A con- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF-DUMZPING HAY-RAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14,1915.

Application filed September 11, 1914. Serial No. 861,278.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EnNEsr C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingat Hoosick Falls, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self- Dumping Hay-Ra kes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer tosimilar in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in perspective, seen from the front,of part of a self-clumping hay-rake embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the same on a larger scale with intermediate portions broken away for convenience of illustration. Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of the inner side of one of the wheel-hubs showing the internal ratchet-teeth with one of the dogs or pawls whereby the rake-head is at certain times connected with the wheelhub to dump the rake. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are like views in vertical longitudinal section taken on the broken line 46 in Fig. 2,

parts showing different positions of the foot-lever and tripping-inechanism. Fig. 7 is a crosssection taken on the broken line 7'7 in Fig. 5. a

In the type of machine to which this in- "vention relates, the rake-head is rotatively mounted upon the same axis as the draftwheels, and is at certain times connected with the wheel-hubs by pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, whereby the rake-head partakes of the rotative movement of the wheels to raise the rake and dump its load, the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism being thrown into operation at certain times by suitable tripping-mechanism operated by the tripping mechanism whereby the clumping of the rake is induced; and the principal object of the invention'is to provide a tripping-mechanism that will be reliable and eflicient in'operation, and which will operate elfectively whether the machine is traversing a straight or a curved path.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, the frame of the machine comprising the bar, '6, hound, 5, and draft-bar, 12, is mounted upon draft-wheels, one only of which is shown, each having a hub, 8.

The machine is drawn by means of thills, 29, attached to the frame.

The rake-head, 7, having the usual curved teeth, 8, is rotatively mounted in the usual manner upon the frame upon the same axis as the draft-wheels, whereby the rake-head is adapted to be swung upward from the ground to relieve the rake of its load.

At each end, the rake-head has a hub, 18, rotatively 'mounted with relation to the wheel-hub, 3, which rake-hub, 18, forms one bearing for a trip-rod, 2, the outer end of which is bent or offset to form a pawl or dog, 2 adapted by rocking movement of the trip-rod to be thrown into and out of engagement with a series of ratchet-teeth, 3, formed on the interior of the wheel-hub, 3. Two separate trip-rods, 2, are thus employed, one in connection with the hub of each draft-wheel.

Near their inner ends the trip-rods, 2, are rotatively supported in bearings, 30, and the inner ends of the respective trip-rods are ofl'set to form crank-arms, 31, The end of each -crank is rotatively connected with a slide-bar, 11, capable of reciprocating slide movements through a slot, 32, in the post,

26, w-h ich supports the seat-spring, :1.

of the machine.

At a point about midway between the bearings, 30, and the pivotal connection between the crank-arms, 31, and the respective slide-bars, 11, the crank-arms, 31, are embraced by a laterally oscillatory lever, 35, pivotally mounted at, 36, upon a lever, 23, pivotally mounted at, 37, upon a bracket, 22, projecting from the lower side of the rakchead.

A coil-spring, 26L, interposed between the lever, 23, and the rake-head tends to operate the lever, 23, in a direction to raise the crankarms, 2, and to project forwardly the slidebars, 11. The slide-bars, 11, are forced rearwardly, against the resistance of the spring, 24, by a downward movement of the footlever, 10, thus shifting the parts to the position shown in Fig. l, to that shown in Fig. 5, thereby imparting to the respective trip rods, 2, a rotative movement which forces the pawls or dogs, 2, into engagement with the ratchet-teeth, 8, on the respective wheelhubs. Ihe engagement thus induced be tween the pawls or dogs, 2, and the wheelhubs, locks together the rake-hubs, 18, and the respective wheel-hubs, causing the rotative movement of the wheels to be transmitted to the rake-head to raise the same, and this rotative movement of the rake-head continues until the stop, 21, mounted on the rake-head has been carried downward into engagement with the slide-bars, 11, to the position shown in Fig. 6, and thereafter until the rear ends of the slide-bars, 11, are forced downward a suflicient distance to open the hinges formed between the slidebars, 11, and the crank-arms, 31, to rock the trip-bars, 2, in a direction to disengage the pawls or dogs, 2, from the ratchetteeth, 3 in the respective wheel-l1ubs, thus disengaging the rake-head from the draftwheels and permitting the head to descend to its working position.

In machines of this general type, it is desirable that the engagement of one of the pawls or dogs, 2, with the neighboring draft-wheel-hub should be more or less independent of the engagement of the other of said pawls or dogs, 2, with the ratchetteeth in the other wheel-hub,-in order to compensate for the difference in angular movement of the respective draft-wheels when the machine is changing direction and the draft-wheels are thus traveling along arcs of different radii. Provision for this independence of operation of the respective pawls or dogs, 2, is provided by employment of the separate trip-rods, 2, in connection with the laterally oscillatory lever, 35, which lever by a sidewise rocking movement prevents either trip-rod, 2, to be rotated suliiciently to let its dog or pawl, 2*, spring over the successive ratchet-teeth in the neighboring wheelhub without material influence upon the other trip-rod and its pawl or dog.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a selflumping rake, the combination with the frame; the draft-wheels; and draft-wheel-hubs having ratchet-teeth; of the rotatively mounted rake-head, a pair of trip-rods rotatively mounted upon the rakehead having on their outer ends dogs adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the respective draft-wheel-hubs and on their inner ends crank-arms; a'pair of longitudinally movable bars pivotally connected with the respective crank-arms on the triprods; a spring-actuated lever tending to move said bars forwardly; a laterally oscillatory'lever pivotally mounted upon said spring-'actu ated lever embracing said crank-arms; a foot-lever for imparting rearwardv movement to said bars; and means for disengaging said dogs from the ratchet-teeth when p the dumping movement of the rake is completed.

2. In a self-dumping rake, the combination with the frame; the draft-wheels; and draft-wheel-hubs having ratchet-teeth; of the rotatively mounted rake-head, a pair of trip-rods rotatively mounted upon the rakehead having on their outer ends dogs adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the respective draft-wheel-hubs and on their inner ends crank-arms; a pair of longitudinally movable bars pivotally connected with the respective crank-arms on the trip-rods;a spring-actuated lever tending to move said bars forwardly; a laterally oscillatory lever pivotally mounted upon said spring-actuated lever embracing said crank-arms; a foot-lever for lmpartlng rearward movement to sa1d bars; and a stop mounted upon the rake-head engageable with said bars to disengage the respective dogs from the ratchet-teeth when the dumping movement of the rake is completed.

3. In a self-clumping rake, the combination with the frame; the seat-post provided with a slot; the draft-wheels; and draft wheel'hubs having ratchet-teeth, of the rotatively mounted rake-head; a pair of triprods rotatively mounted upon the rake-head having'on their outer ends dogs adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the respective draft-wheel-hubs and on their inner ends crank-arms; a pair of slide-bars movable longitudinally through the slot in the seatpost and having divergent rear ends pivotally connected with the respective crank-' ing said crank-arms; a foot-lever having a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto member engageable- With the front ends of set my hand this 9th day of September, both slide-bars; and a stop mounted upon 1914.

the rake-head engageable With said bars to ERNEST C. SMITH. disengage the respective dogs from the Witnesses:

' ratchet-teeth when the dumping movement D. W. BENNETT,

of the rake is completed. MAURICE P. SHEA.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O." 

